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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · mine · bank · ground · face · trunk · bark · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mate — a partner
  4. face — to point toward
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mate — to breed
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. face — to confront
  19. ground — a position
  20. face — part of the head
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. ground — the earth
  24. trunk — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com